Daughter of the Goddess
by R0KI
Summary: Dennari of Legann always knew that she was the daughter of the Great Mother Goddess. But what she never knew was just how much that would affect her life. Especially when the Great Mother abandons her in her greatest time of need.
1. Prologue

**Just a few notes before the actual story...**

**-I don't have an exact year, but this story takes place around 200 H.E.  
-This is unedited. I literally just finished this section and now it's up here. I usually don't do my major editing until I finish the story, but if you find some glaring mistakes, let me know and I'll fix them.**

**Hope you like it!  
~Roki**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tortall or the major Gods. However, this is a time period that she has not written so I do own all of the non-God characters and Denna. (Gods I plan on mentioning are Mithros, the Great Mother Goddess, Kyprioth, and the Black God, but I may include more.)**

* * *

**Prologue**

Lord Rhonald of Legann and his wife, Lady Gennette, both woke with a start. The moon was high in the sky, but a bell was ringing through their home as if someone was very determined to get inside.

"Rhon," Gennette whispered, "Who is it?"

Rhonald shook his head. "I don't know any more than you do, my love."

They both got out of bed and headed down to the door. Only the regular nighttime servants were about. They all seemed confused as to what their master and mistress were looking so concerned about.

At the door to the front hall, Rhonald murmured his frustration at the night doorman, asleep in a chair by the door. Unable to rouse him, Rhonald opened the door himself, Gennette close behind him.

On the doorstep was a baby, completely silent. Gennette pushed her husband out of the way and swept the child up in her arms. The baby responded with a little gasp, but still refused to cry. Gennette gasped as well, taking the appearance of the child in.

"Rhon," she said, quietly, "look at her eyes."

Rhonald looked into the baby's eyes. "Goddess bless, they're purple."

They couple looked at each other, both wondering the same thing. Where did the child come from?

As a response to their unspoken questions, a figure appeared in front of them. The figure was difficult to make out, but it was clear that it was a woman.

"The child is a gift, from me to you," the figure said. Her voice pounded in their minds. Rhonald fell to his knees while Gennette cringed, trying not to let the baby go.

"No daughter of the Goddess should suffer like you are Gennette." The figure bent and kissed Gennette's forehead. Gennette jumped as a shock ran though her.

By the time she had recovered, the figure had vanished. "I think that was the Great Mother."

Rhonald nodded slowly. "Take the child upstairs. She will sleep in our room tonight. I want you to deal with arranging a room for her and a finding a nursemaid tomorrow."

***

"The master'll be very upset if he sees you like this again." The old nursemaid was pulling male leggings off of a young girl of ten years. "Covered head to toe in muck and in a man's clothes. I thought I raised you better Denna."

"But all my mates are coves. What's wrong with dressing like them?" Denna complained.

The nursemaid raised a hand as if to hit Denna, but Denna shot her a look eith her purple eyes and the maid put a hand down. "I keep forgetting you're not my own son. Especially when you dress like 'im. Don't be talking like that mistress. You're a proper lady, you best be acting like it."

"Them ain't me proper parents though," Denna replied in her worst port speech.

This time the maid really did hit her. "You don't be sayin' that. Never let me hear that you said that again."

The hit sobered Denna. "I'm sorry," she said, a genuine look of shame on her face.k

"They love you and they raised you. You're a gift from the Goddess, Dennari, and don't you forget it."

***

"Come on Denna, you can do it," a boy called.

15 year old Dennari of Legann glanced one more time at the two story drop between the roof she was standing on and the roof her friends were all on, waiting anxiously. "I know I can do it," she called back. "I jumped the last three no problem. I just don't think that it's smart to do this one two."

As if on cue, two Dogs of the day watch hauled themselves on to the roof where the three boys were standing. "We've got you this time!" one of them shouted, pulling out his baton.

The boys all shouted with a mix of fear and barely suppressed joy and jumped the gap between the buildings on to Denna's roof.

"Now look who's scared Josha," Denna said with a laugh as a boy with shaggy, brown hair grabbed her shoulder for balance.

"Well then, you've forgotten that if they catch us, my mom is gonna whip us good," he snapped back. Josha's mother was the nursemaid that helped raise Denna. She knew exactly what Josha was talking about because the two of them practically grew up together. Sometimes people would even think that they were twins because they both had light brown hair and light but tanned skin of nearly the same shade. Josha's skin had seen a bit more sun though, but not much more.

"Right, almost forgot about that," Denna said, all seriousness returned to her voice. "Run."

The two of them ran off to catch up with the other two boys. They jumped the roof to the next building just as the Dogs landed on the roof they just left.

Denna and Josha followed their other friends from roof to roof, trying to outrun the guards. Unfortunately, these guards were on the younger side, and much more determined than the average Port Legann Dogs.

The four of them finally reached the end of the line of buildings and looked behind them. They had put some distance between themselves on the Dogs, but the Dogs weren't stopping yet. The boy with dark caramel skin and dark brown hair looked around for an escape route and smiled.

"Down here," he said with an accent between that Common spoken in Port Legann and a Cartaki speaker. He jumped down from the roof and landed on top of the cabin of the boat docked just below them. Scrambling down, he opened the cabin door and called for them to follow him.

"But Diata," the last boy called. He was the smallest of them; pale as a ghost, no matter how much time he spent outside, and with short blond hair, the boy fit in with their group because, like the rest of them, he stood out in a crowd. "We can't just go on someone's ship like that."

"It's fine Tori," Diata called back. "Unless you want the dogs to catch you of course. Anyway, I know this ship."

"It's Turi!" came the familiar response. "My name is Turi!"

The dogs were almost on them when Denna, Josha, and Turi jumped down and ran into the cabin behind Diata and he locked the door behind them.

Denna put her ear to the door to listen for the guards and Josha turned on Diata. "You're a cracknob Di. We could get even more trouble for being in here than being caught by them Dogs."

"I'm not cracknob. Trust me. This is my grandda's ship."

Before he could say any more, someone tried to open the door. Denna jumped back with a silent start and Diata moved forward.

"You kids! This boat is not a play yard!" a man shouted, banging on the door.

"Calm down old man!" Diata shouted though the door in Kyprin. The other three understood what he way saying, he had taught them all when they were much younger.

At Diata's words, the banging stopped. A few seconds later, a response came, but it by no means calmer than it had been when the man shouted in Common. "Sundiata Kane!" he shouted back in Kyprin. "You get out here this instant!"

"You can't tell me what to do old man!"

"No, but your father can!"

Diata laughed. "But I thought you were a respectable trader. What business do you have with the Rogue?"

"Curse you boy. Get off my ship!"

"Give me a few minutes!" He turned away from the door, a smile spreading across his face. "We can stay here for a bit until the guards are gone," he told the others in Common.

Josha glared at him. "I think he was pretty clear that he wanted us off this ship."

Diata shrugged in reply. "Come on. What can he do about it? He won't go to the Dogs on his own grandson and the key is right here," he picked a key up from the shelf built into the wall beside him. "He was just arguing for the sake of arguing."

"Come on," Josha began, but Denna put a hand on her knee to silence him.

"I can promise you, we won't be caught," she said.

Turi nodded. "If Denna says that we won't be caught, I believe her. She has the Gift after all."

Denna shook her head. "It ain't like the Gift, Turi. I've told you before, my mother is the Goddess. Mayhap it's from her."

Thirty minutes later, Josha looked out of one of the window. "Mitros! Denna we've got to move. The watches are switchn' and if we don't get back home, we'll both be dead."

Denna swore and ran after Josha, leaving Diata and Turi back on the ship. They ran as fast as they could, out of the port area and up where the cityfolk live.

Josha was just about to open the door to the servants quarters of their home when Denna pulled him back.

"Look at what we're wearing," she hissed in his ear.

He examined the two of them a let out a groan. "Our clothes are at the Rogue Court."

They were both wearing clothes common to the rats around the port. Whenever they left the house, they went to the Court of the Rogue so Denna could change out of her skirts and Josha out of his servant's uniform.

Denna sighed. "It's too late to go back and get them. You have more uniforms, right?"

Josha nodded and put his hand on the doorknob. "Right. So I'll open the door and we both run. Don't stop."

"Good luck," Denna said with a nod.

"You too." With that Josha threw open the door and they both rushed inside to their respective rooms to change into proper clothing.


	2. Loss

**Alright, here's the actual story. Two years have passed from the end of the prologue and this is the last planned time skip until the epilogue.**

**Let me know what you think!  
~Roki**

**P.S. Again, this is unedited. Let me give you my definition of unedited: I finished writing the chapter then reread it for major mistakes. I don't like to do real detailed editing until I'm done with the story because I get so wrapped up in editing that I don't work on the story anymore.**

* * *

**Loss**

A laugh cut through the noise of the Empire Inn as Diata rolled on his seat. "You can't be serious Josha?" he asked through his laughter.

Josha was laughing a little as well, but having experience what he was now telling Diata, it wasn't as funny to him. "I'm very serious. After I tell her, 'I'm 17 and can make my own decisions mother,' she goes off on me."

"She said that if he really had to be hanging about with port scum that it could at least be with Turi," Denna added, causing Diata to laugh again.

"Turi's no fun though. All he's interested in now is books," Diata said, only half-serious.

They had all grown in the past two years. Josha was three inches taller and Diata was two inches taller than Denna's own height of 5'8", something Denna still found strange seeing as she used to be the tallest of them. Denna's straight, brown hair reached about half-way down her back, and whenever she was at the Court of the Rogue, she wore it in a braid tied with a leather thong at the end.

She also dressed differently at the Court of the Rogue; she always had, despite the scolding she used to get for it on a regular basis from her nursemaid. Here she wore brown leggings, boots and a black tunic that reached a little down her thighs. Lately she had also taken to carrying a dagger on her side, hanging off of her belt. It was the only weapon she carried. She wasn't in the streets often enough to feel like the dagger and her Gift weren't enough to protect her.

Josha, on the other hand, carried four daggers; two on his belt and one in each boot. On the table next to him was also a baton that he had pulled off of a dog earlier that day. He still wore his hair in the same shaggy style he always had, but he had taken to dressing much more like a proper member of the Court of the Rogue. He had already promised the current Rogue his loyalty as soon as he could leave Lord Rhonald's house. But for now, Josha continued his work as a servant because Rhonald was Denna's father.

Unlike Denna or Josha, Diata did live on the street. Idris Kane, his father, had been the King of the Rogue for 18 years (a miraculous thing in itself) so Diata had been raised there. He acted as if he was the Rogue himself, or at least would be some day.

Diata was the strangest of them all, he didn't really belong anywhere besides the Court. His mother was a half-raka from the Copper Isles and his father was a pure Carthaki. He didn't try to hide that either. He wore his black hair past his shoulders now and tied back like a mot. He wore dark clothing except for his tunic. It seemed like he had hundred tunics, all in different styles and colors. Today it was red with gold embroidery as trim.

As for weapons, only Diata really knew how many weapons he carried on himself. Denna could knew of the two hook swords he carried as well as several daggers, but she also knew that he practically wore flat knifes like armor under his clothing. Besides that, Diata was also not the kind of person you would want to fight hand-to-hand. His father was very good friends with a Shang Warrior who had taught Diata more than a few fancy tricks.

"It's not Turi's fault that he's got to take up his dad's business," Denna defended. "He's got four sisters and that's it."

"So," Diata said back. "I don't feel obliged to take my da's place."

"That's because your dad's the Rogue, Di," Josha said, spinning the stolen baton around his hand. "And I thought you said that you wanted to be the Rogue badly enough to challenge Idris if you had to."

"Who's challenging me?" A man walked up behind where Diata sat who had the darkest skin of anyone in the room. He wore much darker clothes then his son and carried about as many weapons.

"Not us, Highness," Diata said with a mischievous smile up at his father. "But don't you think it's time for a Rogue with hair?" Idris Kane was completely bald.

"Actually," Idris sat down at their table, a serious look on his face. "I haven't wanted word of this to get around but I have to tell you three now, mostly because it involves Denna." He allowed a quick smile across his face. "I would just tell you, Denna, but what's the point when these two will probably find out anyway."

They all laughed a little before Idris spoke again. "There is a man who's been saying that I've been here too long for the city's good. In all honesty, he doesn't think there's anything wrong with me, but it's the three of you he has a problem with. 'You've been in this position for almost two decades,' he says' 'and now you're son is going to replace you. Unless I stop it now, the Rogue will become an actual monarchy.' And the fact that Denna is the daughter of the city's lord doesn't help at all."

He sat up straighter in his chair. "He even accused me working with Ol' Rhon and Johnny more than the Rogue should." He always called Lord Rhonald and Sir Jonathan, the Deputy Provost, those names. They had all been in their jobs for so long, Idris liked to say that they were really all best friends who didn't have time to talk much.

Josha looked confused. "So what does he want to do? Challenge you?"

Idris shook his head. "Worse. He says that he has no interest in challenging me, so he will just get everyone else to kick me out." He took a deep breath before continuing. "He wants to prove that I've been working with Rhon and Johnny more than a Rogue should. He plans on killing both of them, and their families."

Denna stood up so fast that she knocked both her drink and Josha's drink over, the contents of the drinks running across the table. "And there's nothing you can do to stop him?' she shouted, causing some of the people at nearby tables to turn and stare at them.

"There's nothing I can do to both stop him and prevent him from becoming Rogue." He held up a hand to silence Denna before she shouted again. "I'm not trying to protect myself. This man can't be Rogue. Port Legann would fall apart under him. And I can't stop him from attacking your house or your uncle's house Denna. If I tried to stop him, protect the houses, or warn Rhon and Johnny about the attack, this man would have enough evidence to get me to lose my place as the Rogue."

Denna gripped the hilt of her dagger. "Do you have any idea when this is happening?"

Idris nodded at Denna and then made a hand sign to two guards by the door. The men repositioned themselves to block the entrance. "Yes, I do. It's tonight and tomorrow night. But Denna-"

He never got to finish his sentence. Denna had run over to the door and was now trying to get out past the guards; everyone in the Empire Inn was now watching their group.

"Josha," Idris muttered, "can you bring her back please?"

With a sigh, Josha stood up and made his way over to Denna. He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Denna, calm down, please."

Denna spun around in his arms and looked him in the eye, her own purple eyes blazing with fear and anger. "Why," she asked through gritted teeth. "I was just told that my parents were going to be killed."

Josha shook his head and continued to speak in a soft voice. "No, you were told that your entire family was going to be killed. To you that may be your parents and your uncle, but to the rest of the world, you're on that list too."

"I don't care," she said slowly, trying not to shout.

"Well, I care," Josha said. "Di cares, Idris cares, even Turi would care if he were here right now." They both laughed a little at the thought of how out of place Turi would be at the Court of the Rogue. Josha touched his forehead to hers.

"I can't just do nothing," Denna whispered, her eyes beginning to water.

"But you're safe here. Don't risk your own safety."

"I will worry about my own safely when I don't have to worry about someone else's." She blinked the tears back that had formed in her eyes, pushed Josha's arms off of her, and spun around to face the guards. "You will let me by," Denna said forcefully.

When the guards didn't move, Denna sighed. Reaching for her magic, she flicked her wrist a few times to direct the magic, as well as the men. The men lifted off the ground a few inches and floated away from the door. As soon as their feet touched the ground again, Denna ran out of the door, Josha close behind.

Idris's plan had worked, Denna didn't make it to her home in time to save her family. When she had reached her home in the highest section of the port city, she found people screaming and rushing around as well as mages attempting to put out the fire the house was expelling.

To Denna's surprise, her uncle was standing there, watching the house burn. She ran up to him and spun him around to face her. "Uncle Jonathan, where are my parents?"

He said nothing, but looked over to two people laying on the ground just outside of the house, people fussing over them.

Denna ran to her parents and pushed the healers aside. She stared, horrified, at the state her parents were in. Her father was dead, that much was clear. His throat had been cut and dried blood was beginning to form on his clothes, skin, and the ground around him, but her mother was still alive.

"Mother!" she shouted, falling to her knees next to the woman. She picked up her mother's hand and held it in both of her own.

Gennette's voice was weak when she spoke. "Denna?"

Denna nodded, fighting back tears. "I'm here."

"Oh Denna, it's good to see you. Thank the Gods, you're safe."

"What happened?"

Her mother coughed twice and a trickle of blood dripped from her mouth. "Assassins, through the window."

Denna tightened her grip on her mothers hand as it began to slip. "The Rogue knows who is responsible for this. I'll get him back. I promise."

"No. You still have a home in the Divine Realms. I'd rather you were there. Be safe my daughter." With those last words, her mother's hand went limp and her eyes closed.

Denna couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears that her eyes had been threatening came out stronger than she could have imagined. She didn't want to let go of her mother's hand. Letting go of it was letting go of her.

After what felt like an eternity, two hands loosened her grip on her mother and lifter her up by the shoulders. The person shook her slightly. "Denna, Denna are you okay?"

Her tears blurred the face of the person holding her up. She blinked a few times to find Diata looking her in the eye. "What are you doing her?"

Diata smiled, "You and Josha go running off and you don't expect my dad to make sure you're safe."

Denna smiled back. "I'm fine Di. Just shaken. I want to find who did this."

He pulled her in to a tight hug. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You leave this to me, Josha, and my father." He held her out at arms length and examined her before looking her in the eye. "I want you to go to the Goddess's Temple and see if you can have a word with your Great Mother tonight. I'll take you there."

Despite Denna's objections, Diata steered her away from her smoking house and down the city streets to the temple. "I'll be back for you tomorrow morning," he said. "You'd better be here."


	3. Gods

**Alright. I finally decided on a year for this story. It is currently 204 H.E.. I actually really like this chapter. The end finally gave me a story. (I usually come up with a character and setting then just go from there.) I hope I did a good job with Kyprioth. He's my favorite God so I tried to do him justice. Tell me what you think.**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to Raine of Terragen because I told myself that I couldn't read chapter 27 of her story until I finished writing this chapter.**

**Review and tell me what you think!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Gods**

_It took Denna a few moments to realize where she was. Everything around her was blindingly white. She racked her brain, wondering why the emptiness looked familiar. She had entered the Temple of the Goddess and spoken with a priestess before falling asleep on a bench. Now she was in the emptiness._

"_My daughter," a voice said from behind her._

_Denna spun around to see a woman dressed as a warrior. She was tall, with white skin, black hair, and full red lips. Denna knew this woman, it was the Great Mother Goddess, her mother._

_Denna bowed her head in response to the Goddess. After a few seconds, a hand lifted her chin up and she found herself looking into the Goddess's emerald eyes._

"_You look so much like your parents," the Goddess said affectionately. "Except your eyes."_

"_Goddess," Denna said, jerking her chin out of the Goddess's hand. "My parents are dead and my home is gone. I have come to you for help."_

_The Great Mother Goddess smiled. "Did your mother not tell you? They were raising a goddess."_

_Denna shook her head, not really taking in what the Goddess said._

"_You are my daughter. You are a goddess, Dennari."_

_It was the use of Denna's full name that made her pay attention to her mother. "I'm a goddess?"_

_The Goddess nodded. "You are, but I placed you in a mortal body and gave you to your mortal parents. They raised you well."_

_Denna was confused. "What does that mean for me?"_

"_It means, you will live out your mortal life. When you die, you will join me here instead of going to the Peaceful Realms."_

_Before Denna had a chance to ask any more questions, the Goddess was gone. Frustrated, Denna closed her eyes and took a few slow breaths to calm herself down._

When she opened her eyes again, Denna found herself laying on the bench she had fallen asleep on. By the way the moonlight shone on the wall and the condition of the candles lit around the room, she knew that she hadn't been with the Goddess for long.

A young woman in the robes of a priestess walked up to her with a cup in her hands. "Here my Lady, drink this," she said, giving Denna the cup. "It's just tea, but it's supposed to help after a visit from Gods."

Denna nodded her thanks and took the tea. She sat up and took a sip of the drink. It was a strong herbal tea, too strong for her taste, but Denna drank it anyway.

"Do you have a place where I can stay for the night?" Denna asked the priestess. "One of my friends said he will be here for me tomorrow, but I don't have a place to stay tonight."

"Of course my Lady, you may stay as long as you need."

"Just the one night, thank you."

The priestess lead Denna to one of the many rooms in the temple for women who had fled their homes. Once inside the room, Denna sat down on the bed, relieved.

"If I may ask your friend's name who will come for you my Lady. We do not allow men who are not Mithrin priests back here; your friend will need to give his name in order to take you."

"Yes, it will either be Joshua Lerren or Sundiata Kane. Joshua also goes by Josha and Sundiata goes by Diata, incase they don't give their full names."

The priestess curtsied to her before leaving the room.

Denna made herself comfortable on the bed and tried to fall asleep.

"_Lady Dennari of Legann, it's a pleasure to officially make your acquaintance."_

_Denna looked around. She was back in the emptiness, but she was standing on what felt like grass. On closer inspection, grass did begin to appear. It spread from her feet out for several yards until she stood at the center of grassy field._

"_I wish I could say likewise," Denna said, spinning slowly on the spot, trying to see who had spoken._

"_Back here."_

_The voice had come from behind her. Denna spun around to see a man sitting on a boulder that she knew wasn't there a second ago._

_The man appeared to be middle aged, with salt and pepper hair and beard. He wore an outlandish amount of jewelry and clothing similar to those worn by Diata's part-raka mother. Denna knew who he was by the look in his mischievous brown eyes._

"_Kyprioth. I suppose I'm supposed to say it's a pleasure as well._

_The God smiled. "I see you've inherited your mother's prejudice about me."_

"_And she wouldn't be happy about you being here, Trickster. Especially not after your recent banishment from your own home. You're trespassing."_

"_That was 30 years ago," Kyprioth said, waving away her words. "I just want to talk to my niece."_

_Denna sighed, "What is it?"_

_Kyproth created another boulder for her to sit on. "Please, sit." He gestured to the chair with a mocking bow and they both sat on the boulders. "Now, don't you think it's unfair that my sister is making you wait?"_

"_Wait for what?"_

"_To become a god, of course."_

"_I'll wait if that's what it takes. I have a life here."_

_She didn't like the look on Kyprioth's face as he laughed. "You don't have to wait. Think about this for a second. I can help you shed your mortality and become who you were born to be."_

"_Why would you even consider helping me?"_

_The God opened his arms wide, as if he were to hug her. "Family helps one another."_

_Denna scoffed at him. "Why don't I believe that?"_

"_Alright, you win. My brother is trying to rid me of my last position her on the mainland." At Denna's confused look he added, "Your lovely friend, Sundiata._

_You see, almost every Rogue is __mine, even in the smallest way. But Diata is part-raka. My divine brother wants to put his man on my throne. I can't allow that to happen, not after my loss of the Copper Isles."_

"_And why does this concern me?" Denna asked, through she felt she knew the answer._

"_Diata needs to find this man and kill him, but I know that without your help, he will die in the attempt and then my brother will have won anyway."_

"_I take it my current abilities aren't strong enough to help him the way I am."_

_A smile played across the God's face. "Not at all." He stood up and clapped his hands together. "So, what will it be: Do I get to kill off your mortality or do you let your friend die?"_

_Denna fell silent. She knew what her only choice was, but she didn't want to face it. She couldn't let Diata die, but she didn't know how much she could trust the Cooked God sitting in front of her._

"_I can't let Di die," she finally said._

_They both stood up and Kyprioth walked over to her. "I didn't think so," he said, kissing her on the cheek._


	4. Death

**Alright! I wanted to get this up before I went out of town. I'm headed to Oregon to visit some family and I won't be back in town for about a week. I don't have my computer, but I will have my ever present notebook and will not stop writing and planning this story.**

**Review please. It may sound corny, but reviews really keep me motivated. If you have ever written anything, you know exactly what I'm talking about.**

**About the story itself, I need to make a quick pronunciation guide. The only people who pronounce Diata's first name correctly are the people, like myself, who study Japanese. (I'm not sure if this is how the actual name is pronounced, but it's how it's pronounced in my story.)  
-Sundiata: SOON-dee-ah-tah  
-Diata: dee-AH-tah  
-Di: dee**

**See you next week!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Death**

"Shut it Turi, she's waking up."

"I was just-"

"I said, shut it!"

Denna opened her eyes to see everything spinning in front of her. "What," she began, trying to sit up.

Someone pushed her back down in bed. "Nice try," Josha said. "You've been in bed for three days. We're not letting you up until a healer looks at you. Di's gone to get one."

"I don't feel right," Denna said.

A thin hand touched her forehead. "I'm no healer," she heard in Turi's Scanran accent, "but I can tell you she has a terrible fever. Mayhap, the stress?"

A door opened and shut somewhere in the room. "I'm back," Diata said.

"Clearly," Josha muttered.

Ignoring Josha's comment, Diata asked, "How is she?"

"Fever," Turi replied.

Denna felt a magic on her and saw an unfamiliar blurred figure standing over her. Seeing as no one did anything to stop the person, Denna assumed it was the healer and didn't object.

"I've never seen anything like this," the man said after a few minutes. "I can prescribe some things that may help, but I can't guarantee anything."

"You can't do any healing to help her at all?" Turi asked.

Denna saw the healer's blurred head shake. "I tried already. The only thing I can guarantee is that whatever it is isn't contagious."

"I would've stayed here anyway," Josha muttered. The other two boys nodded in agreement.

Diata got up and showed the healer out. When he got back, he sat down in his chair, clearly disgruntled. "He was no help. Denna, what's wrong?"

"Can't see anything right, 'sall blurry and spinning," Denna replied, putting her hands over her eyes. "Feel nauseous, have a headache, and I'm sore everywhere."

"Well," Turi asked, "what's the last thing you remember. Mayhap something you ate or someone around you was sick."

"The healer said it's not contagious," Diata snapped.

"That's beside the point," Turi retorted.

Denna groaned. "The last thing I remember before I fell asleep was drinking some tea a priestess gave me. But while I was asleep," realization hit her and she sat bolt upright in bed, ignoring the spinning room. "Mithros and the Goddess!"

Josha pushed her back down in bed. "What's that about?"

"Kyprioth!" she grumbled. "That sick, twisted, creature. May his eyes be pecked out by his own beloved crows!"

_You agreed to this. Remember that._ A voice said in her head. _And so you know, my crows love me too much to do that._

Denna sighed. He was right. This was her fault. It took her a few moments to remember why she had done this. Finally she said, "Hey Diata, you guys haven't gone after the man responsible for all this, have you?"

"No, we haven't."

"Don't do it. Not until I'm better at least."

Even though her vision was blurred, she saw the boys all look at each other.

"Um, Denna," Josha began slowly, "the healer told Di you have almost no chance of surviving." His voice broke on the last work and his head fell into his hands and Josha sobbed silently.

Denna smiled and put her hand on his. "Stop crying you silly gixie. I know I'm dying. I've figured it all out." She paused, unsure of how much she should tell her friends. They all knew about her mother, but Denna didn't even know until a few nights ago that she was a goddess. "Just do me a favor, don't report my death."

She couldn't see it, but Denna imagined confused looks on the boy's faces.

The next three days were the worst days of Denna's life. She didn't have the strength to sit up in bed, eat, or drink on her own. Her vision got so bad that it began to have blind patches in her side vision.

Each night, a different friend stayed with her. Josha stayed the first night, when Denna could talk without pain, and they talked until Denna fell asleep. The second night, Turi stayed with her, telling her about what his four sisters have been doing in the past year since Denna had seen them. The third night, Diata stayed in the room with her, saying nothing.

"Diata, what's wrong?" she finally asked, ignoring the dry burning in her throat.

"Nothing," he said shortly.

Denna tried to smile. "Are you really going to lie to me when I'm this close to death, Di?"

Diata stood up so fast, he knocked his stool over. "You're taking this whole thing as a joke!" he shouted. "You're dying Dennari and you won't even admit it!"

"I did admit it Di. I know I'm dying. You, my friend, are simply overacting."

"You keep telling us not to go after the Mithran without you." They had begun calling the man who was responsible for all the 'the Mithran' because all they knew was that he was a servant of Mithros. "Unless we drag around your corpse, we'll be doing this without you."

_He's too worried,_ Denna thought. _Even if the others are too, they didn't show it like this. I can't stand it._ "Help me sit up, will you?" she asked. "I don't want to say this too loud and I hate it when you all bend over me."

After a moment's hesitation, Diata sat back down and helped Denna to sit up and bring her close enough to whisper.

"While the Gods had me, I spoke with your God." She trusted Diata to know that she was talking about Kyprioth. "He explained some things to me that are too serious for me to think he was lying. Because of that, I made this choice to die. I didn't know it, but having the Goddess as my mother, I belong in the Divine Realms."

Diata almost let her fall back onto the bed in his surprise. "So, all this time, I've been friends with a-"

"Yes." Denna smiled. "So, will you wait for me? Or will you go after the Mithran without a goddess on your side?"

"One of us is delusional," he said, shaking his head. "Either I'm imagining all of this or you're crazy with your fever."

Denna's only response was to go limp in his arms. She had finally died.


	5. Banishment

**Alright, this is the shortest chapter so far by almost 300 words (and the longest pre-story&post-story note, please read it all). I feel like my chapters are getting shorter. Oh well, as long as each chapter is above 1,000 words, I'll be happy.**

**Anyway, posting this chapter is my way of celebrating being out of Oregon! (No offense to anyone who lives in Oregon, it's a beautiful state, but the trip would've sucked no matter where it was becasue I hate that side of my family.) I literally got home 3 hours ago, unpacked, typed this up, and now I'm here posting it.**

*****There is one thing that would've stopped me from posting this chapter, and that is Mithros. The only Tortall books that I have not read are _Emperor Mage_ and _The Realms of the Gods_. It won't take me long to read them, but I need to get my school summer reading done this week becasue I can't renew the books from the library any more. So for this chapter I'm pleading the FanFic/AU excuse. This is the Mithros I have imagined (not including appearance) and how he would react. If this is nothing like Mithos and reading _RotG_ will change how I think of the God, I'm sorry. I will portray him better in the future. Let me know how I did.*****

**PLEASE REVIEW! I can see how many people are reading this (thank you all) and the amount of reviews in comparison makes me sad.  
~Roki**

* * *

**Banishment**

Something was wrong, Denna knew that from the moment she left her body. She didn't know what dying was like, and she knew it would be different for her, but this just felt wrong. She had expected to be in the Divine Realms, but she wasn't.

Denna was standing against the wall of the room she had just been in, examining the frozen scene in front of her. She saw her own body, limp and dead in Diata's arms and a tear, frozen in the air between them.

Next to her stood a person hooded and robed in black. "I'm sorry Friend, I didn't see you there," Denna said, jumping slightly.

The robed figured lifted a hand a placed it on Denna's shoulder. His robes made no sound as he moved and she couldn't hear his breath, if he was even breathing. Something clicked into place in Denna's mind as she looked at the figure.

"Black God," she whispered in awe.

Her first instinct was to recoil from the God's cold touch, but she stopped herself. Although the hand on her shoulder was as cold as death, it was reassuring, not foreboding.

The air around her, which she only just noticed had been growing colder, suddenly blazed with heat. "What have you done?" a voice behind her shouted.

Spinning around on one foot, Denna found herself face-to-face with the dark skinned, golden armored Mithros.

Denna was scared, but she didn't want to show it. "Me?" she asked, trying and failing to sound offended. "I died! That's what I've done!"

A new hand pulled her against the wall and wrapped itself around her shoulder. "Calm down love," Kyprioth said in her ear. "He was talking to me. It just took me a moment to get here. I had to apologize to the wonderful black God for stealing suck a wonderful soul from him."

"Why did you do this brother?" Mithros asked, clearly furious.

Kyprioth pulled Denna in closer to him. "She agreed."

Denna tried to push away, but Kyprioth was much stronger than his wiry build made him seem. "You gave me no other choice."

"Actually, I think you'll find I did. It's not my fault that you found the other option morally repugnant." The Crooked God tweaked Denna's nose and she slapped his hand away.

The heat in the room pressed down on Denna even more as Mithros spoke. "It does not matter who's choice it was. The point is that it has been done." The God moved closer to Denna and his brother, pulled her out of the Trickster's grip, and looked her in the eye.

"Dennari," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "You are young and you are foolish. But you are my family and you are a Goddess. I cannot change those things. However, you are not ready for Godhood."

Denna felt her heart sink and butterflies fill her insides. Something was going to happen to her and she was scared.

"You must learn: What is life? Until you know, you will be grounded, attached to the Mortal Realm." The God smiled at her. It was meant to be reassuring, but it didn't help. "You will be an earthbound god. You will keep all of your power and those with the sight will know you for what you are, but you will not be allowed into the Divine Realm. Be prepared."

And with that, the brothers were gone. It felt like she was a player who had been shoved on stage without any preparation. Sounds pressed in on her ears and everything seemed much more vivid.

Diata looked up and saw her standing there. "Denna!" He jumped to his feet and ran over to her. Denna only had a second to watch as the body, it was hard to think _her_ body, Diata had been holding faded away.

The next thing she knew, Diata's arms were around her and he was holding her tighter than he ever had. He finally released the hug, gripped her hands in his, and looked into her eyes.

Denna laughed a little. "Stop crying you little gixie."

Diata wiped a tear out of his eye, not letting go of her hand as he did so. "Your eyes are green," he finally said. "Your hair is darker too. You look like your Great Mother."

Confused, Denna moved over to a mirror on the wall. Sure enough, her skin was paler, her hair darker, her lips fuller and more red than they have ever been, and her eyes were now as green as emeralds.

"How did you even know it was me Di?"

Diata shrugged. "You're one of my best friends Denna. Do you think I wouldn't recognize you if you dyed your hair and put on lip paint? Doxies do it all the time and I still find my girls."

Denna rolled her eyes, and then went back to examining her appearance. "Do you think I can go back to what I looked like before?"

"It's your Gift. I have no idea," Diata said with another shrug. "I'll be back in a minute, I'm going to get Josha and Turi."

Denna heard the door close, but was too focused on her appearance to really notice.

_How does this work?_ she thought to herself, frustrated. She tried reaching for her Gift like she had always done. But now, her Gilft encompassed her entire being; there was no actual place to pull from.

"I wish it would just work!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the wall. Instantly, Denna's hands were several shades darker. She looked back at herself in the mirror to see the same Denna she used to be. Even her eyes had gone back to their usual amethyst shade.

A combination of relief and excitement ran through her. She was able to be herself. That alone made her situation much more bearable. But now she could change her appearance at will. _Some Gods can change their seeming,_ she realized. _This is just another brutal reminder of my fate._

The door burst open behind her. And Denna was knocked to the ground from the force of the tackle. "Denna!" Turi shouted.

The small boy was pulled off of her by Josha, a wide smile on his face. "It's good to see you again."

* * *

**I thought I should end this chapter on a lighter note. xD**

**I feel like I'm giving Diata more "screen time" than the other boys, but I love him. He's fun to write. I feel like if I get three more boys in here, I will be writing Ouran High School Host Club, but Tammy style. Denna would be Haruhi (duh). Diata would probably be Hikaru. Josha is Kyouya. And Turi is Hunny.**

**It's sad that I think of Turi as the immature, cute, tiny, blond boy. He's like a cross between Momiji (Fruits Basket), Hunny, and Kotaru (Black Blood Brothers). I'm trying to find ways to make him more mature, but that needs to happen in my own mind before it happens in the story.**

**Oh dear. I just realized that I confessed my anime nerd-ness. I promise this will not turn into an "anime"-fanfic!**


	6. Future

**Alright! Time for another update! Sorry this took so long. I was at a Journalism cam at Ball State. It was my second year there so I thought that I would be able to work on my story in my free time. But unlike last year, I wasn't the only person from my newspaper staff to go. All my free time was taken up with websites, layout re-design, and staff meetings. It was very fun and very necessary for my high school paper.**

**This is my longest chapter so far, but I love it. These next few chapters are gonna be really big in terms of where the story is going, so they will (hopefully) be on the longer side.**

**This chapter and the next chapter are also my attempts at adding depth to Josha and Turi. I think Josha's turning a little bit into Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass but not in a bad way. (again, my anime nerd-ness is showing)**

**Please Review!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Future**

Denna sat at the table, awkward and uncomfortable in a new black, silk dress. She wasn't hungry, she hadn't been too hungry lately.

She turned her soup spoon over in her fingers as she watched her uncle, Sir Jonathan of Legann, eat with a dignity she could never match.

"So Dennari," he finally said, setting his spoon down. "How have you been these past two weeks?"

Denna sighed. "As well as can be expected, uncle."

Jon nodded. "And where have you been staying? My most recent reports tell me that your home is still in ruins."

That was just like her uncle. Jon wouldn't bring himself to care about his brother enough to do more than watch his house burn. "I have been staying at the Empire Inn," she finally said, looking him directly in the eyes.

It was clear that name meant something to Jon. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Denna. "The Court of the Rogue?" he asked slowly. "You've been staying at the Court of the Rogue?"

"Yes I have. One of my closest friends has allowed me a room there." Seeing the look in her uncle's eyes, Denna sighed and added, "I understand that because you are the Deputy Provost, this upsets you."

Jon shook his head. "That is not the only reason. Dennari, I did not wish to bring this up with you while your parents were still alive. But now I must talk to you as one noble to another."

Denna closed her eyes and prayed for patience. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"Lady Dennari," he said, not looking at her, "you have inherited the title of Baroness of Legann, a title you are not ready for."

"What do you mean by that? I was raised to take over Legann after my father."

Her uncle raised his voice. "No! You were _meant_ to be raised to take over Legann, but what do you know? Nothing!"

"I know enough," Denna retorted, raising her voice to match the volume of the Deputy Provost's.

"You know the Court of the Rogue. You do not know about our court."

"And what does that matter?"

"You are no better than port scum with your current education. Noble girls, such as yourself, are proper ladies by now; but not you. You wear trousers, you fight with daggers, your friends are servants and thieves-"

"If we could, leave my friends out of this," Denna said through gritted teeth. "And I don't see the problem with any of this. It should be better that I know my people."

"No. You should know of your people and their needs. You should not drink with your people. It is undignified." Denna tried to speak, but Jonathan held a hand up to silence her.

"Port Legann is just what is claims to be, a port city. Legann is an easy target for raiding parties and militaries. Do you know what to do if we are attacked? Are you able to command our guard and protect the area outside of the walls of Legann?"

Denna had nothing to say. Jon had a point, she didn't even realize what was needed to run a port city.

"No matter. It is too late for you to learn. Your best hope would be to have gone to Corus and to have become a knight. Knights are taught all of those skills and more."

Denna had to use all of her self control to remain in her seat and to keep her voice level. "But I care. Are you saying that there's no benefit in that?"

Jon shook his head. "Caring is very good. I care about my Dogs very much. But that doesn't mean that enemies won't attack them as they leave their homes in the morning. Things like that always happen and I have learned how to deal with them."

"Then I'll go become a knight," Denna said, calming herself down slightly. "I will become a knight and learn how to protect Legann properly."

"That's impossible," Jon said, also lowering his voice. "You are 17 and would, under normal circumstances, be undergoing the Ordeal of Knighthood this Midwinter. You are too old."

"Then I will speak with the King and the Training Master to see if they will make an exception for me."

Jon called for a servant to take their food away. As the servant left the room, he looked at Denna and sighed. "They will not make an exception to knighthood. But there is a possibility that you can find a husband at court who knows these things. If he is a second son, there is a greater possibility that he would be able to come to Legann as opposed to you leaving us."

"I have no wish to marry, uncle." Seeing the scornful look in his eyes, she added, "At least, not until I have exhausted all my other options. Even if the chances of success are impossible, I will not give up on alternative solutions until they have run their course."

"Meaning," he said slowly, "You are going to go to Corus and petition the King to let you become a knight."

Denna nodded. "Exactly."

Her uncle sighed. "Well then, while you're there, ask for someone to watch over Legann. Whether you become a knight or stay at court, you will need someone to manage here. And it can't be me," he added in response to the look on her face. "I'm bound to my Lord Provost and have no intention of leaving my post any time soon."

Denna stood up. "Alright uncle, I will leave within the week."

"You will leave tomorrow," Jon said.

"No. Jonathan of Legann, you are my uncle and my elder. I respect you even if I don't like you. However, as Baroness of Legann, I am your superior. You will not order me in such a way after I have agreed to so much. I will leave within the week. Goodnight."

Denna left the room and headed directly down to the servant's wing of her uncle's house. Many of her servants were working there until Denna's house was rebuilt. Josha had chosen to visit some of his friends while Denna had met with her uncle.

"Josha," she called, finally spotting him speaking with a member of her guard.

"What is it? Are you done already? It's hardly been an hour," he said, coming over to her.

Denna shook her head. "Never bring up serious conversation over soup. It makes your guests leave. Can we go back to the Inn? I need to talk to you, Diata, and Turi in private."

***

Three days after Denna had told her friends her news, she was to be found walking down the street of Upper Legann with Josha at her side.

Denna was dressed in all black, just as she had been since her parents died. Today is was her usual men's clothing of black breeches and tunic, as well as a black leather jerkin with silver fastenings and embroidery.

Josha's ensemble was a new one for him. For the past three days he had been wearing the uniform of Denna's guard: Black breeches, leggings, and boots under a blue and green sleeveless tabard bearing the Legann coat of arms. His tunic was supposed to be white, but Josha, was well as several other members of her guard, wore black tunics and said they would do so until Denna stopped wearing black. He also had a sword that he had inherited from his father who had been the head of the guard before he died several years ago.

"I still don't get why you wanted to do this, Josha," Denna said, not looking at her friend. "You promised Idris your loyalty. Now that my father is dead you can do that."

Josha shook his head. "I promised Idris my loyalty after I no longer worked for your house." He bowed, still looking at her. "I still work for your house my Lady."

Denna blinked back tears. She shook her head to clear it before speaking. "Alright. So we came here to find me a lady's maid. You said you had someone in mind."

"That I do. You know her actually, even though you haven't seen her in years." He turned her into a dress shop.

"Hello ma'am, I'm looking for Jessica," Josha said a woman working in the front of the shop.

The middle aged woman smiled as she saw who was talking. "Master Lerren, it's been a long time."

Josha smiled. "That is has, Mistress Bronwyn. Almost five years if I'm not mistaken."

"You are not mistaken. Jessica is in the back working on some dresses, go on."

Josha lead Denna into the back of the shop. "How do you know that woman?" Denna whispered to him.

"I know her because of Jessica. Does that name still not ring any bells for you?"

Denna shook her head and Josha laughed as he pushed open a door at the end of the hall.

The only occupant of the room was a girl around 14 years old. She had wavy, light brown hair that she wore in a half bun and pale skin. She was carefully sowing a dress, but Denna could tell that the girl felt rushed.

"I know, I know Bronwyn. I heard the shop bell ring. I'm going as fast as I can, I'm almost done," she said, her back to them as she sped of the speed of her stitching.

Josha shook his head, a wide smile on his face. "I am not Mistress Bronwyn. If I was, I would be able to see you every day."

The girl, Jessica, dropped her needle and spun around, a look of wild excitement on her face. Finally being able to see the girl's face, Denna noticed that Jessica had the same almond shaped, hazel eyes as Josha as well as the same nose.

"Josha!" she shouted, running over to him. They hugged and Josha even picked the girl off the ground a few inches. When he finally put her down, Jessica was smiling wider than ever. "I've missed you. Why haven't you visited me?"

"I've been busy, sorry. But I want you to meet someone." Josha pulled Denna out from behind him. "Denna, this is my sister, Jessica. Jess, this is, Denna."

Jessica's eyes widened as she looked from Josha to Denna. "I knew you two were friends, but when you're introducing her, shouldn't you use her whole title?"

"I don't let him," Denna said before Josha could speak. "If you really want to know, it's Baroness Dennari of Legann, but I don't let my friends call me that. You can call me Denna if you want."

"I think I'd rather not call you that milady," Jessica said, blushing. "The last time I saw you, you were being scolded by my ma for wearing boy clothes almost 6 years ago."

Denna laughed. "She's given up on that. Now, I came here to talk to you about something. I'm headed off to Corus soon and I need a lady's maid. Your brother recommended you. Are you interested?"

"I would be honored."

"Jessica, everyone would say that, even if it wasn't true. I didn't ask you if you would be honored, I asked if you were interested."

The girl opened and closed her mouth a few times before responding. "I am, but my apprenticeship isn't over here for two more years."

Denna nodded. "Josha, could you go talk to Mistress Bronwyn about what you and I planned."

"Sure," Josha said, beaming at the two of them before leaving the back room.

"Now, I hate to say this in a place that isn't my own home, but take a seat Jessica. I want to talk to you," Denna gestured to some chairs and they both sat down.

"Can you make a dress?"

Jessica nodded.

"How quickly?"

"Um, that really depends on the size and complexity of the dress, as well as the fabrics and-"

Denna laughed. "How about, a black dress of any material and style appropriate for the King's Court in Corus? Sized to fit a very young girl around 9 or 10 years old."

The look on Jessica's face was very understanding, as if she had seen right through Denna's plan. "Less than a week if it's my only job."

"And did you make that dress on your own?" Denna asked, gesturing to the dress Jessica had been working on when she had entered the room.

Jessica nodded.

"It's beautiful."

Josha walked back into the room. "She said that we can have Jess for up to three weeks now and then as long as she's interested when her apprenticeship ends."

Denna smiled. "That's great." She stood up and headed towards the door. Stopping she turned around to speak to Jessica. "How long will you need to be ready to go to Corus?"

"A full day at least, I should think. And I still need to finish this dress. Bronwyn doesn't understand how I did some things so I need to be the one who finishes it."

Denna nodded. _A student who knows more than her teacher, impressive._ "Well then, we'll be back for you the day after tomorrow."

* * *

**Sorry to all you Diata and Turi fans, the next chapter is all about them. Bear with me!**

**Also, quick note about Josha's uniform: Tammy has never told us what Legann colors are, so I made it up. I imagine the blue as a dark, royal blue and the green as more of a seafoam green. Maybe when I get around to really editing the story, I'll add in those details.**


	7. Market

**I wanted to get this chapter up soon. I'm in the process of moving into a new house and I have hardly any free time to write. The chapter's a bit shorter than I wanted, but I thought it would be better to get it up while I still had internet. (And the section I cut did very little for the story and can be put in a later chapter.)**

**This chapter is dedicated to Magical Marker and Queen-of-the-Rogue (a.k.a. Navigator101) because I know they're Diata and Turi fans.**

**Like I said, I tried to make Turi more mature and I think it worked. In my opinion, he's the same Turi just less hyper, more confident, and more mature. Tell me how I did.  
**

**As usual, please review!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Market**

"I need to go down to the harbor."

"No you don't. She told us not to. Turn around Diata."

"Turi, you don't get it! Josha's down there. Why can't I?"

"Because Josha and his sister are going to Corus with Denna."

They had been having that argument on and off for hours. Both Turi and Diata were frustrated beyond belief.

"Then I'll go to Corus with them!" Diata said, yet again.

Turi sighed and put his hand on Diata's shoulder. "Denna told you, Josha told you, your father told you, and now I'm telling you: Do not go to Corus. I get it Di, I really do. You care about Denna. We all do." He smiled, despite the fact that Diata wasn't looking at him. "We're in Market District right now. Let's find Denna a present for when she gets back. Her house should be fixed up enough for her to move back in. It can be a housewarming gift."

Diata turned away from the harbor to face Turi, looking defeated. "I forgot."

"What? That Denna won't be staying at the Inn? Personally, I'm relieved. A noble shouldn't stay at the Court of the Rogue."

"She wanted to. She asked me if she could."

Turi shook his head. "That wasn't my point. Now do you want to get her something or not?" He walked over to the nearest stall. "Come on Di. I'll pay."

"But, I thought your da said that you couldn't spend his coin on things like this."

Turi laughed. "My father's in Scanra right now. Any coin I make while he's gone is my own."

Diata smiled at his blond friend. "Alright then." He pointed to a stall with small figurines of the Gods. "Mayhap something like that? Her ma's the Goddess after all."

"I doubt she's going to want a reminder of that so soon. The last time we talked and before that, when she was dying, I got the impression that she didn't like the Gods much right now."

"Well, I think we should get one for her. I can pay for it on my own if you won't."

Turi, quick but not sly, snatched Diata's coin purse from his belt. "First of all, if a merchant can steal your purse, you've gotten too laid back. That's not a good thing when we don't even know what the Mithran looks like or who's working for him. Second of all, I'm paying. You have too much coin for your own good. If I don't stop you, you're going to buy Denna something expensive and useless. I may be a year younger than the rest of you, but I have more sense than_ you_ at least. I'm here to moderate you."

"Fine. What do you suggest?" Diata asked, rolling his eyes.

"Something a girl would like."

"And what do you know about girls? You've never had a sweetheart, Tori."

Turi didn't even bother to correct Diata any more. He knew it was pointless, Diata was just teasing him when he called him Tori. "You haven't either, Sundiata Kane. You've been with doxies, but you don't know girls. I have four older sisters. If it wasn't for you three and my father, I may have grown up wearing dresses and face paint."

Diata couldn't help himself, he burst out laughing at the thought of Turi in a dress. "I would love to see you like that, Turi. I bet you're the cutest little gixie."

"I don't know. I didn't think I looked all that great," Turi muttered in embarrassment.

Diata laughed even louder. "You mean you've done it before?"

"I was younger and I lost a bet with Karina."

"How young is 'younger'?"

Turi thought about it for a minute before responding. "I remember Karina was 16, so that made me around 8 years old."

"And you haven't done it since then?" Diata asked, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Of course I haven't! And you will tell no one what I just told you. It was the worst day of my life. Liv put lip paint on me and Astrid kept pinching my cheeks telling me I was the cutest little gixie she's ever seen."

Diata put an arm around the small boy's shoulders. "Alright then Tori, master of mots, let's shop."

The boys walked from stall to stall, examining everything they thought Denna may like. Every time Turi suggested something, Diata turned it down. Most of the time Diata headed towards a stall, Turi had to push him in a different direction.

"I found it," Diata finally said. "Turn around Turi."

Rolling his eyes, Turi turned around to see what Diata was looking at. It was a flower stall.

"Flowers? Really Di? She may be gone for two weeks or more. I don't think flowers is a good idea, unless you want to buy then as she's getting back to Port Legann."

Diata smiled. "Trust me Turi. Take a closer look."

They walked over to flower stall, noticing how people around it mostly admired the flowers, but didn't buy them.

"Oh," Turi gasped in amazement as he saw the flowers. Every petal of every flower was outlined in gold and the flowers each shone with the magic of protective spells. Turi knew people could see the shine, but he couldn't help but wonder how many people recognized the magic signs that he did.

"These flowers are guaranteed to last forever young masters," the man behind the stall told them.

"I can see that," Turi said, awed.

The old man nodded at Turi. "It takes a sharp eye to spot what you've noticed. You must have the Sight."

Turi shook his head. "Not the Sight, no. But I have the Gift and I know the signs of all sorts of protective magic."

"Turi," Diata said, slowly. "You never told us you had the Gift."

"It's not big. I get if from my father." Turi smiled. "As a merchant you have to be able to protect your goods and spot fakes and illusions. That's all I can really do."

"Well then, will these really last forever?"

Turi examined a flower closely. "They will. But if someone tampers with the spells, they'll die just like any other flower."

"Forever, Turi," Diata said with a meaningful smile. "Just like her."

"And now you're starting to think the right way," Turi replied, reaching for his coin purse.

After paying for the flower, the two boys worked their way towards the port, where Turi's home was. They both agreed that Turi's house was the safest place for the flower, at least until they could put the flower in Denna's house, which was Diata's plan.

Just as the first ships were coming into view, a monkey covered from head to toe in golden fur darted off of a ship and up Diata's back. As soon as it stopped on his shoulders, it began to hit black palms on Diata's head.

"Get off me!" Diata said to the monkey, swatting at it with one hand.

The monkey shoved Diata's hand away, but otherwise acted as if his slapping had not been interrupted.

"Akuma," a stern voice called.

The monkey froze and looked around for the voice.

"Akuma, get down from that boy." A woman wearing Yamani men's style shirt, pants, and sash walked over to them, watching the monkey carefully. She gestured with two fingers for the monkey to come to her and after a moment's hesitation, the monkey obeyed. "Good boy," the woman said as the monkey perched itself on her shoulder. "I've told you before, no running off."

"I think it's safe to say that this is your monkey," Diata commented, rubbing his head where Akuma had hit him.

"Yes, he is. I'm sorry about that. He is usually very tame."

"It's no problem."

Turi had not noticed the exchange; he was too busy examining the swords the woman had tied to her sash. "It is very unusual to carry three swords as you do Mistress," he finally said. "I can tell by the tsuka that these are Yamani blades, but I thought the custom was to only carry one katana and one wakizashi."

The woman smiled. "That is the custom, but it only is enforced with Nobles. I find two wakizashi to be much more helpful."

"I would not like to cross blades with you," Turi remarked, "even if I were a master swordsman."

"Many men do regret challenging me," she said with a small nod. "And I'm sorry, but I must leave. My employer needs me."

* * *

**Some extra bits of information I feel like I should tell you:**

**-The monkey is a Blond Capuchin monkey. Even though Capuchins are from South America, the only native Japanese monkey I could get information about was too big and heavy to do the things Akuma will be doing later in the story.**

**-_Tsuka_ is the term for the hilt of a Japanese sword.**

**-I'm going to assume people know what a katana is. On the other hand, a wakizashi is the same thing as a katana only shorter and more practical for indoor fighting. (Also, later I will mention a tanto. That is a 12-inch long, Japanese dagger.)**

**-Karina, Liv, and Astrid are three of Turi's sisters. His other sister is Mia. I meant to introduce Mia and explain more about Turi's family in this chapter, but I decided to put it in a later chapter. (I would've edited that section to not even mention his sisters, but I love that part too much to touch it.)  
**


	8. Corus

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get up here. We're in the midst of moving and I've hardly had time to write. Chapters are gonna begin to come less often because I have to finish my summer reading and my many essays I need to do by the first day of school in 8 days. (Oh my God. 8 days. Kill me.) Once the school year starts up, my goal is going to be a chapter a weekend.**

**This is a Denna/Josha chapter. (I'm alternating between Denna/Josha and Diata/Turi, if you haven't guessed.) Hope you like it!**

**Review and let me know what you think!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Corus**

Two bells after sun rise found Denna, Josha, and Jessica on a boat for the capital, Corus. Many people made the day long ride, but not many were on this particular boat. After discussing their options, Denna and Josha decided to take a ship that was used for transporting nobles and rich citizens along the coast.

"You're going to Corus as a noble," Josha had said. "It's best to do that the whole way."

Presently, Denna was standing at the front of the ship with Josha, watching the water splash on the sides of the boat, wondering if she was making the right choice about her future.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned around to find Jessica, her unbound, brown hair whipping around her face in the wind.

"I'm sorry to disturb you my Lady," she said loud enough to be heard over the wind. "But may I speak to you about something in private?"

Denna smiled. It would take Jessica some time to stop being so formal with her, but she would make sure it happened. "Of course," she said with a smile. "Let's go somewhere else."

Josha looked at Denna with a strange expression on his face. "If it's private, we shouldn't have a conversation somewhere like this," she explained, seeing understanding cross Josha's face.

Denna lead Jessica away form the front of the boat and into Denna's cabin. They were going to be one to boat for about a week, so Denna had been given rooms for herself, Josha, and Jessica.

Shutting the door to her cabin behind both of them, Denna sighed. "It's unusually windy out there," she commented casually.

Jessica blushed. "You keep trying to draw me into a conversation like that. It's not going to happen Your Ladyship."

Denna nodded. "And it's not like I don't know why it's so windy. There's a storm on it's way."

"Lady Dennari," Jessica said, sounding annoyed.

"You're right," Denna said with a laugh. "I'll be more subtle next time. Now, you wanted to speak to me about something?"

Jessica nodded, wringing her skirts as she began to speak. "When Your Ladyship came to the dress shop a few days ago, you asked me to make a dress for a ten year old girl."

"Actually," Denna interrupted. "It would be an eight year old girl. If, that is, you would like to come back to Corus with me when your apprenticeship is complete."

"Eight or ten, Your Ladyship, it doesn't make much of a difference when you are clearly a grown woman."

"Ah." Denna understood where this conversation was going. She shook her head a little before speaking again. "I was hoping not to deal with this until we got to Corus. I suppose this does make more sense though." She looked Jessica in the eye, clearly unnerving the younger girl. She had to think twice before speaking, considering how much of the truth to tell. "I have the Gift," she finally said. "I can use it to change my appearance, including the age I appear."

"My brother did tell me your goal was to be a knight. I thought it was strange though, seeing as you're too old. You plan on lying to the entire Court by making yourself younger, don't you?"

"I'll admit," Denna said, taking some clothes out of a bag on her bed. "As much as I can act like a commoner, deep down I know I'm a manipulative, spoiled, noblewoman. I try to hide it, but I don't do a good job."

"You don't seem like that to me, milady," Jessica said softly.

Denna laughed quietly, almost to herself. "Now that I've pointed it out, you'll begin to see how right I am. Almost my entire life has gone my way, because I know how to toy with people. It's terrible."

She walked behind a screen without bothering to see how Jessica would react to this. She liked the girl, it was true. She was enough like her brother for Denna to trust her and she was new. Denna sighed to herself. That was probably all Jessica was: new.

"You know, Jessica," Denna said from behind the screen, "we just had an actual conversation."

"I-I don't know if that really counts," Jessica stammered.

Denna laughed, but Jessica didn't hear the same laugh from before. This was a child's giggle.

A completely different girl stepped out from behind the screen from the young woman who had just vanished behind it. This girl was a pale girl of 8 years old, with almost black hair, emerald eyes, and small red lips.

Just then, someone knocked on the closed door from the hall. "Denna, Jess, it's me," Josha said from behind the door.

Denna nodded and Jessica went to open the door. Josha stood in the doorway, water dripping from his hair and clothes.

"The sky opened up seconds after you both left," he said, accepting a cloth from his sister and drying his face. "I spoke to the captain though. The rain is heavy but the winds have died down. We shouldn't be much later than expected. I see you showed Jess your Gift," he added, referring to Denna's new appearance. "Where did you get the clothes?"

"It's a mix of new things, and Mia's old clothes," Denna said with a shrug.

"I'm surprised any of Turi's sisters keep things. They all seemed like the kind of girls who get rid of things the moment they go out of fashion."

Denna laughed, the same childish laugh from before. "You're thinking of Turi."

"Mayhap I am," Josha said, his eyes twinkling with laughter. "Anyway, why do you look like this? What's wrong with the way you looked when you were actually 8?"

"This is how I actually look, but older. It takes concentration to hold my old appearance. I've caught myself with green eyes on more than one occasion. I don't want to make that any mistakes by worrying about seeming and age, so I chose to do this. You and Turi have only seen my old seeming since my parents died."

"And Diata has?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

Denna wanted to explain what had happened when she came back to life, but she couldn't tell Josha while his sister was in the room. In any case, she didn't like Josha's tone. "What does that have to do with anything?" she retorted.

"So, you trust him more?"

Denna got to her feet, her eyes now level with Josha's as he sat. Both of them had forgotten Jessica, standing off to the side. "Do not say things like that Joshua Lerren. It is not true. Why are you acting like this?" Without waiting for a reply, Denna stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Josha jumped to his feet as the door slammed shut and was frozen in place, trying to understand what just happened.

He relaxed a little when Jessica put her hand on his shoulder and fell back onto a bench. "Jess," he said, head in his hands. "What just happened?"

Jessica sat down next to her brother. "I don't know from experience, but it looked like jealousy. Do you love her Josha?"

"Is it that obvious?" Josha asked with a weak smile. "I know, I know, I'm a fool. I know nothing can happen. I just can't help it."

"Just channel it into something else. Use your love to make yourself the head of her guard, like our da. You know that if anything happens between you, it will end very badly."

Josha sighed. "I know."

***

They got into Corus a week later and spent most of the day heading to the palace and settling into their rooms. Jessica stayed in Denna's rooms with her. Josha, on the other hand, had been offered a position with the palace guards. While he had declined, he was still able to stay in their lodgings, and choose to do so.

"Come on Josha," one guard said, shaking a pair of dice in one hand. "Have some fun. You're Lady be in her rooms. And a little girl like that won't be out much at this hour."

Josha shook his head. "I have something I have to do," he said sternly. "Can one of you tell me where I may find the Court of the Rogue?"

The men around him laughed, stared, or frowned depending on their character and experiences.

"Why do you want to go there?" one man asked.

"I need information," Josha replied. "If I can get it anywhere in Corus, it'll be there. Or mayhap someone there will tell me where I can get the information."

Another man shook his head. "That's down in the Cesspool. Lad, not many your age go down there for the first time at night and live to tell the tale, even if you are a guard."

Josha picked up his sword with a smile. "I'm probably better off than you think." He tucked his daggers into the boots of his street clothes. He knew that wearing the uniform of the Legann guard wouldn't be a good idea, no matter where the Court was. "And I have a friend down there."

He left the palace to shouts of, "if you get back too late, you'll be sleeping outside!" and made his way down street after street until he found himself in the farthest west part of the city. He assumed this was the Cesspool because it was the foulest part of the city he had been in so far. He felt as if the people there were speaking a whole different language; even though he knew the words they were saying, what they were saying made no sense to him.

_Legann is no where near this bad,_ he thought_. Not even in its worst parts._

He saw the largest variety of people by one building in particular which he headed over to. It was a large, black stone house which looked as if it could have been the house of a noble from the past.

Going inside, he knew at once that he had found the right place. Even though Corus was different from Port Legann, Josha spent enough time at the Court of the Rogue to recognize the signs of one.

The Empire Inn in Port Legann was much less formal than this Court. Josha assumed it was because the Inn had always been an Inn that Idris's predecessor bought from the owner. Idris had a head table for himself and his most trusted men. Diata, Josha, and Denna even sat there from time to time. But this Rogue, whoever he was, had a real throne. The floor it was on was raised about 6 inches higher than everyone else, and held nothing but the kingly chair.

The Rogue was seated there, speaking with a man Josha knew well. Josha thought it unwise to interrupt an unknown Rogue, so he leaned against the wall, one hand on his sword hilt, waiting for the talk to end.

A man put his arm around Josha's shoulders, smelling of too much ale. "Come now laddybuck, I ain't never seen you here."

Josha tried to push him away. "You're quite right, master drunkard. Now go back to your own business."

The man's eyes got wide. "The boy's got himself a proper tongue," he said to no one in particular. "You think you be better than us Lower City folk. You a cityman then?"

"Hardly," Josha muttered, trying not to breath in the man's foul breath.

"Methinks you're a fine liar."

Josha pushed the man away, who seconds later came back at him with a knife in his hand. The drunk lunged at Josha who was able to easily dodge the man's slow movements.

"Please master drunkard," he said with a disparaging tone. "If you had any sense right now, you'd understand that there really is no competition between you and me. I don't want to kill you."

"You're just scared, you damned looby."

With a sigh, Josha reached into both of his sleeves and pulled out knives, spinning them both in his hands in a flashy show he hoped would scare the man off. It didn't work. With a quick look, Josha saw that the man wore arm guards with metal plates. _When he's sobered up, he must have some idea of what he's doing, _Josha thought, knowing that he could take advantage of anything on the man in a proper fight.

People were beginning to back away from the pair and form a circle. Even more people had fallen quiet to watch the new boy in action. Several people even began placing bets on the fight.

"If I were you," Josha told the betters, "I wouldn't do that. This won't be much of a fight."

The man lunged in towards Josha. He flipped the drunk over his hip while knocking him on the head with his dagger hilt. Moving both daggers to his left hand, Josha held off the man's next advance by blocking the attack with the daggers and punching the man in the stomach.

The drunk growled at Josha. "You can do some fancy tricks, laddybuck. But you ain't so great."

Before either Josha or the drunk had a chance to swing their blade again, the man who had just been speaking to the Rogue stepped into their circle. He had tanned skin and a scar over his left eye that ran all the way up into his slightly receding hairline.

"That's enough you two," he said with an accent that suggested he had spent some time in Northern Carthak. He gestured towards the drunken man. "Someone get him out of here."

After a few people dragged the man into a corner, the crowd began to break up and the man came up to Josha. "The Shang Dragonfly taught you well Josha."

Josha smiled. "But he wasn't my only teacher. You helped Olando."

Olando waved the comment away. "You could probably still best me with a sword." He led Josha to a table and sat him down with a group of men. "So my young friend, what brings you to the Cesspool this late at night?"

The smile fell of Josha's face. "I need information. I thought this would be the best place to start, seeing as I'm in Corus for a time anyway."

"Did Idris send you?" Olando asked, sounding concerned. "The Rogue here disliked me and Idris enough when Idris sent me here. I don't think he'll take well to another one from Legann."

Josha shook his head. "Idris didn't send me, but if I get the information I need, I doubt he'll be upset that I came."

Olando seemed concerned. "Alright then, what is it?"

"There's a man who we don't know much about trying to take Idris's throne. He won't issue a challenge though. He uses threats and blackmail. He even killed Denna's parents." Josha knew that Olando would know who Denna was, she had spent enough time with them when Olando was teaching Josha and Diata how to fight. "We know that he's a Mithran priest, but not much else."

The men around them made the sign against evil and Olando's eyes narrowed in dislike. "Well then," Olando said slowly. "Daman Sydes has finally made it as far south as Legann."

* * *

**Yes, the Mithran now has a name. You can pronounce it however you want, but here's how I say it:  
Daman - Dah-mahn (I have lots of Indian friends, I think that's why I say it like that)  
Sydes - Sides**


	9. Newcomers

**I'm sorry it took so long to update this. I have the common reason of school starting up, but this was also one of the hardest things I've ever written. I have been working on the first half of this chapter for over a month and it's still horribly written and embarrassing to show people (in my opinion). The only reason I'm posting it here is because the story has to go on. Maybe I'll get around to editing this chapter, but I don't think that will happen for a long time. (I wrote the second half in about 4 hours between play practice and homework. But I love it so much more.)**

**Also, you may have noticed that I did not move my story from the Song of the Lioness category. I think I would've moved it if my story fit into any of these new categories, but it doesn't. If you haven't already, please sign the petition to get the Tamora Pierce section fixed! A link to the petition can be found on this profile (take the spaces out of the url): http:// www. fanfiction. net/ ~tortallanrenegade**

**As always, please review! New reviewers get cookies!  
~Roki**

* * *

**Newcomers**

A little more than a week after Denna and Josha had left for Corus, Diata and Turi were to be found in Turi's least favorite place in Legann, The Empire Inn.

"I don't understand how you managed to drag me here," Turi said, sounding uneasy.

"You're an easy cove to drag," Diata said with a smile. As an after thought, he said, "Tiny lad."

Turi looked away in embarrassment. "You know I hate it here. If my father ever finds out-"

"Just don't tell your da and you'll be fine."

"Can we change the subject?" Turi asked, annoyed.

Diata sighed. "Alright, what about that mot from the other day?"

"The Yamani?"

"The very same."

"What about her?" Turi asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"You're sweet for her. I could tell."

Turi chocked a little on the cider he had just taken a sip of. "I am not! If you think that, you're crackbrained."

Glancing at the front door, Diata waved someone over to their table. The smile he had on his face made Turi nervous about what was going through his friend's mind.

Turning around, Turi found himself also waving at the Yamani they had just been talking about.

The mot was wearing similar clothes to when they saw her the other day. Her monkey, Akuma, was seated on her shoulder with its tail wrapped around her neck.

There was a man with her today. He seemed to be in his late 50s, with salt-and-pepper hair and a clean-shaven face. He wore brown pants and a white tunic, all under a large, tan overcoat.

When Akuma pointed to Diata and Turi, the mot turned to them and made her way over, the man in her wake. "It's nice to see a familiar face," she said, sitting down at their table. "Even though we didn't meet under the best circumstances."

Diata reached his hand out to Akuma. "It's no one's fault that your creature has a mind of his own." He quickly pulled his hand back as Akuma tried to bite him.

"I don't believe we actually introduced ourselves the other day," Turi said as Diata stared Akuma down, murder in his eyes. "I'm Turi Magyar." He held out a hand for the Yamani to shake.

She took his hand. "My name is Kirako Yashi." She gestured to the man next to her. "This is Hugo."

The moment after Kirako said this, a red and white tabby cat leaped on to the table, causing Diata to let our a startled cry.

Kirako laughed at the look on Diata's face. "This is just Hugo's cat. You get used to him."

The cat surveyed Diata with cold, stone grey eyes before curling up on the table in front of Hugo.

"It doesn't seem like your animals like me very much," Diata commented. "My name is Diata by the way, Sundiata Kane."

"You're the princling," Kirako said, her eyes alight with interest. When Diata looked confused, she added, "Kane, as in Idris Kane. You're the son of the Rogue."

"Oh yeah, I am," Diata said, slightly put off. "But how do you know my father?"

"When a man has been Rogue as long as he has, his name reaches to everyone who has a need to know it." Hugo's voice had a condescending note to it that Diata didn't like at all.

"Oh," Diata began, slowly. "That makes sense."

An odd silence fell, broken only when Kirako ordered drinks and renewed when the serving girl left.

"What are you in Legann for?" Turi asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"I have come with my goods and intend to do business here within the week," Hugo replied in the same condescending tone.

_No,_ Diata thought. _I don't like this man at all._

***

Two days later, a new boy came to work in the kitchens at the Empire Inn. Diata didn't like the boy. He was only 12, but he gave of such an unpleasant aura that people couldn't help but be scared by him. Maybe it was the way he looked; he was tall for his age, with pale skin and shaggy, mouse brown hair. His stone grey eyes surveyed everything around him without intelligible judgment but with the ability to cause anyone to freeze in their tracks as a simply unpleasant feeling washed over them.

The boy Bryce never spoke either. He wasn't a mute though. Diata had seen him talking in Common with some stray dogs and cats in the alley behind the Inn with a voice that was every bit as unsettling as the rest of his appearance.

"I don't trust him," Diata told his father, another two nights after Bryce began work. "I won't be surprised the day he pulls a knife on you and sets his animal friends on the rest of the Court."

Idris sighed. "I knew having you grow up here was a bad idea. I told your mother you were better off in the Copper Isles, but she seemed to think otherwise."

"I understand why, da," Diata said, shaking his head. "Ma's a noble and she's married to some Luarin cove." He put his legs up on the table and stretched his arms before putting them behind his head. "Even if she was able to fake being with child, how would she explain how a child that is supposed to be only a quarter Raka is half-Carthaki? I don't mind this life, I really don't."

Idris shook his head as well, somewhat shocked at his son's attitude towards his only mother. "You have grown up in a world where trust is dangerous. If you go through your life assuming everyone is going to kill you, you will always find the ones who want to kill you. You need to learn to give people chances."

Diata slid his feet off the table and sat up to look his father in the face. "There's a man out there who wants you off this throne. Da, he killed Denna's parents to do it. He would've killed the Deputy Provost too, but for some reason he chose not to. We know nothing about this man other than that he is unpredictable, but it's safe to assume that he doesn't do this alone. Bryce is creepy and mysterious, how do you know he doesn't work for the Mithran?"

"I don't trust the lad," Idris said, speaking quietly as Bryce walked out of the kitchens. "But there is a space between trust and distrust that I put people in until I figure out where I stand with them. You need to learn how to do that."

* * *

**One of the people I introduce in this chapter, Bryce reminds me a lot of Nobody "Bod" Owens from Neil Gaiman's novel, _The Graveyard Book_, not so much in action as in appearance. That's also the reason why I have "the boy Bryce" written in that manner. It's sort of a nod to Gaiman's character Jack from the same book. Jack was always referred to as "the man Jack." (If you haven't read the book, I recommend it. It's technically a kid's book, but I still cried several times and am absolutely in love with it. Neil Gaiman is one of my all time favorite authors, up there with Tamora Pierce, JRR Tolkien, and Phillip Pullman.)  
**


	10. Revelations

**Apparently I have not updated this story in two months. So I want to start out by saying that I'm sorry and that this story is not dead yet!**

**This past month, I did NaNoWriMo so I did absolutely no thinking about this story, for the most part. But the story that I did write for NaNo was actually bits and pieces of the sequel to this story. For those of you who didn't already know that there will be a sequel: Yes, there will be a sequel. It's kinda essential to Denna's story. But in all honesty, I'm getting kinda sick of this story and I just want to write the sequel (but I can't just skip this story) and here's why:  
~Denna gets a lot cooler (in my mind at least)  
~I have a small obsession with Merrin of Kings Reach, one of Denna's closest friends  
~The Roger/Alysy relationship is so much fun to write! (That would be King Roger II, the king during Beka's books and his first wife)  
~My favorite character in this story (besides Denna) has a much bigger role in the sequel than he does in this story  
~I love to make bad things happen to Zachary of Veldine because I based him off of a kid at my school who I really want bad things to happen to.  
~And lastly: Jonathan of Darroch. That is really all I can say about him. I think I love to hate Jon because of everything that he has done, but I'm not quite sure yet.**

**Anyway....this chapter has been finished for a while. Technically it's a Josha/Denna chapter, but Denna's not in it. I don't know when the next update will be because that chapter isn't done yet and all of my free time after homework and my job will be going towards catching up on all the anime that I missed during November because of NaNoWriMo.**

**Sorry again for the super long update.**

**Please Review!  
~Roki**

**P.S. In case you were wondering, this was my third year doing NaNoWriMo and I finally won with 50,274 words! (Third time's a charm I guess)**

**P.P.S. If you want to know what's going on with my writing and stuff, you can follow me on Twitter at /ERobynA -just a warning though, I do anime updates though as well. If you have a big problem with that, follow me anyway or else Boxing Kirby will find you! Q('-'Q)  
~~(When/if you do follow me, send me a message here and tell me your Twitter name or send me a message on Twitter and tell me your name on this site, just so I know who you are.)  
**

* * *

**Revelations**

"So you know him?" Josha asked. He was both nervous and relieved; while he could now know more about the man, he was scared about what he may learn.

"Unfortunately," Olando replied, a slight frown on his face.

Josha watched his old mentor sit in silence for a few moments. Olando had a far off look on his face with a touch of sadness that Josha had never seen before.

Putting a hand on Olando's arm, Josha tried not to show how desperate he was for any information Olando might have. "Are you alright?"

Olando shook his head slightly as if he was clearing it. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. It's just this man, he's pure evil."

Josha's harnd gripped Olando's arm tightly for a moment before pulling it back. "That's why I have to know about him. He's after Idris!"

"You're right," Olando replied, serious again. "I been keeping an eye on him for a few years now. The first thing you need to know is that he doesn't work alone. Men like him never work alone. He has people in every town and every city as his eyes. In cities where he's taken down the Rogue, the Rogue he puts in place is his puppet. He's obsessed with gaining power.

"Then he has five people who he seems to trust the most. Each of them are as twisted and dangerous as him in someway or another. The two men who go wherever Daman goes are called Georg and Jack. Georg is pure strength with almost no brains. He does whatever Jack or Daman tells him to do. Out of those two, Jack is the sickening one. Unless I'm mistaken, which I hope I am, he has a Gift I've never even heard of. Josha, the man can read thoughts."

Josha made the sign against evil as he felt the man sitting next to him shiver slightly.

Olando looked down at his hands, knotted together on the table in front of him. "He can predict your moves, making him impossible to beat in a fight. The second you choose to do something, he knows about and avoids it. Or he will get into your head and find your worst fears, your doubt, and you secrets and he will drive you crazy with them. I've seen it happen."

Now Josha understood what the sad look in his mentor's face had been. This man, Jack, had done just that to someone Olando knew. "I won't ask you to tell me who you've seen that happen to," he said, trying to sound kind yet urgent at the same time. "But who else is there?"

"They're all in pairs," said a man sitting next to Olando. "Jack and Georg work together. There's the potion maker and his boy, and the Child of Darkness and the Devil."

"Names," Olando told the man. "Josha needs names." He sighed and looked back at Josha. "The potion maker is old. He doesn't do any direct fighting anymore, though I don't know if he ever did. He makes poisons out of plants from every region in the Eastern Lands. Hugo, I believe his name was. Unpleasant fellow, if not as twisted as Jack.

"Then his partner is like Jack in the fact that he has powers that haven't even been spoken of since the Immortals realm was sealed. It's the Gift that some have with horses. I believe most of the people working with horses in the palace have some magic with the beasts. This boy is the same, only he can speak to every mortal animal, or so I've heard. And he can even take their forms if he chooses. That's why it's so hard to keep track of the boy. I believe Hugo picked the boy up in Maren about 8 years ago. That's just a guess though. I was having Hugo tracked when he vanished there. The next time I found him, he had a little boy with him. He's probably around 12 now, named Bryce I think it was. Those two are the hardest to keep track of; they're the most subtle."

Josha shifted uncomfortably on the bench. If these kinds of people followed the Mithran, what was Daman Sydes like? "And what about the last two?" he asked reluctantly. "The Child of Darkness and the Devil, you said."

"Take this outside Olando," a man with a gruff voice said. "I can't hear about this one, she's almost as twisted at the mage-kid."

Olando nodded and stood up, gesturing for Josha to do the same. Once the two of them were a few steps outside of the Court, Olando stopped, looking up at the sky. "It's getting dark," he said. "Where are you staying lad?"

"The palace," Josha replied quietly. "I'm here with Denna who has come to discuss something with the king, so we're staying there."

"Denna? I can't be thinking of the right mot. Is this the same Denna who used to watch you and Diata as I taught you how to fight?"

"The very same, she's the Baroness now."

"Daman Sydes destroys another life," Olando commented, heading slowly down the street.

Josha allowed a quick smile to cross his face, thinking of the new Denna, the Goddess Denna. "You have no idea."

"She doesn't seem like the type to do any of those things that nobles do. One of her best friends is the Prince of the Rogue after all." Olando smirked as he used his old nickname for Diata.

"She's not the type and that's the problem. But we didn't come out here to talk about Denna."

Olando sighed. "No, no we did not. Who was left? Oh right. _Kirako to Akuma_."

"What was that?" Josha asked, confused.

"_Kirako to Akuma_ is Yamani for the Child of Darkness and the Devil. That's this last pair. The Yamani mot is a master swordswoman. I could live a hundred lives and never see her equal. Though why she follows Daman, I don't know. But there must be a good reason because the last I heard, she was Daman's right hand. She's the Child of the Darkness, a shadow in the night. She's charming and clever. She can bring down a city single-handed.

"Her Devil is a monkey with blond fur. This doesn't seem bad at first, but the monkey has been trained in a way that makes him the deadliest assassin I've ever run across. Once he knows his target, he doesn't give up unless Kirako tells him to or his target is dead. The beast can even use weapons. It would almost be comical if the monkey hadn't taken so many lives."

Josha stopped in his tracks. "The monkey kills people?"

Olando nodded, gravely. "Why else would he be called Akuma?"

They had reached the outer palace gates by now. Josha nodded his thanks without looking at his old mentor. "I wish I didn't need to know all this," he said before going inside.

Once Josha was back in the bed lent to him in the Guard's quarters, he found that he was having trouble getting to sleep. Something was in the back of his mind, bothering him. It had to do with a monkey. Was it Akuma? Josha didn't know.

A scene flashed in his mind. It was a week ago, as Denna and his sister were getting on the ship to Corus. Josha had been looking around that morning, seeing what was at the port when he saw a boat that seemed strangely small compared to the others around it. There were three people standing on the deck of the boat. One was an old man in a large coat. Another was a young boy, sickly looking in the morning sun. And the last was a mot. _A Yamani mot,_ Josha realized, _with a blond monkey sitting on her shoulder._

Josha sat bolt upright in his bed, his heart beating wildly. They were out of time. They were out of time, and Turi and Diata had no idea.


End file.
